Fletcher Voices Fears over Possible Normalization of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon
British Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher voiced fears over the possible normalization of Syrian refugees in Lebanon should the conflict in their country take a long time to be resolved, reported As Safir newspaper on Saturday.
He told the daily that the danger of their normalization exists, urging the Lebanese government to take the necessary plans to contain the impact of the Syrian conflict.
He added however that the Syrians themselves do not want to stay in Lebanon, but they aspire to return to their homeland as soon as possible.
A political solution is necessary for Syria, stressed the ambassador.
Fletcher noted that the international community had encouraged Lebanon to harbor the refugees, adding that this burden should not remain on its shoulders alone.
To this day, Britain has presented a billion dollars in aid to Syrian refugees in the region and Lebanon has been one of the main beneficiaries of this aid, continued the ambassador.
The needs of the refugees are growing and the meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in April should present an opportunity to meet the refugees' educational needs, he explained.
The influx of nearly one million Syrian refugees, according to United Nations figures, has swollen Lebanon's population by 25 percent since the war broke out across the border in March 2011.
The U.N. forecasts that registered refugees in Lebanon could reach 1.5 million by the end of the year.
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